Now that the cat is out of the bag, there are more people who are expressing their opposition to the plan of the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation (TWDC) to reclaim land off the shore of several barangays in Tagbilaran City.

A source told The Bohol Tribune that a lady lawyer is leading a group of other lawyers and women as they express opposition to the plan to reclaim around 153 hectares of space off the shores of Tagbilaran City.

The source said the group of the lady lawyer will expose its position in due time.

For now, it is safe to say that there is a growing consensus among the public against the reclamation plan, which is seen by some as a potential issue against the environment.

The group of the lady lawyer is apart from groups which already see the dangers of a reclamation plan.

The TWDC, a corporation made up of 5 companies, presented its plan to reclaim a significant portion of the waterfront of Tagbilaran City.

The goal is to provide extra development space where business ventures can flourish.

However, the idea of reclamation may lead to issues in the environment plus the possible displacement of fishermen who are earning their livelihood in the area.

The TWDC asked the Sangguniang Panglungsod to recognize them as the original proponent of the reclamation plan, which is an unsolicited one.

This means that TWDC unilaterally went to the city government to propose the reclamation idea.

The TWDC says that it is looking at spendin the amount of almost P12 billion for the project.

The city government will not spend a single centavo but will be getting 51% share of the reclaimed area.

The reclamation plan is going to be the most talked about issue involving the city in years.

Some observers say that the issue could create a polarizing effect where camps will have to make a stand on the issue at hand.

IMPACT

Some onlookers are saying that the public should be given the right information so they can arrive at an informed decision.

In a radio interview, Tagbilaran City vice mayor Adam Jala promised that the public will be involved in the decision making whether or not to allow the reclamation plan to be implemented.

He promised that the people will be invited to the public hearings on the matter.

Of course, national government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Reclamation Authority are expected to take a long hard look at the proposal.

There are several groups who are opposing the plan hoping that the authorities would favor environment over the potential economic gains of the proposal.

Currently, the plan for reclamation has yet to get to first base since there are some groups including the one led by the lady lawyer, who are looking to nip the issue in the bud.

MORE SUPPORT AGAINST RECLAMATION

The Bohol Tribune learned that some experts are preparing a position paper on the matter.

A member of the expert group, however, said that the position paper is being finalized and will be research-based.

The position paper of the group of experts will be revealed soon once the data are complete.